A 911 operator with Valley Communications Center in Kent was honored April 4 for her life-saving actions during a 911 call for help in February.
Cathleen Robertson answered a 911 call Feb. 1 from Maple Valley resident Mike Zahajko reporting that Sheila Zahajko, his 46-year-old wife, was experiencing a medical emergency and had collapsed, according to a media release from Valley Communications Center.
After obtaining the address, Robertson entered an incident in the system to dispatch the fire department and continued talking with Zahajko.
Robertson quickly determined a life-threatening situation existed and told the husband CPR was necessary. When Zahajko said he had no training and didn’t know how to do CPR, Robertson calmly told him she would help and talked him through the process.
During the sequence, Zahajko reported his wife regained consciousness. King County Medic One transported the patient to the hospital awake and conscious.
It was later determined Sheila Zahajko had suffered a ruptured brain aneurism and a stroke, a combination that rarely ends positive. The neurosurgeon told the family the immediate application of CPR prevented brain damage and allowed her to survive and fully recover from a nearly always fatal brain injury.
Mike and Sheila Zahajko requested to meet with Robertson to personally thank her, the staff at Valley Communications 911 Center and Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety and King County Medic One for their professionalism and dedication to duty.
Robertson has more than 21 years of service with Valley Communications Center, which is in the 27500 block of 108th Avenue Southeast on Kent’s East Hill.
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